Lorelai's Birthday Parties
by CoffeeDrinker
Summary: This one-shot takes place in 2008 as Lorelai celebrates her 40th birthday. Written for the Happy Birthday, Baby! Ficathon.


**Lorelai's Birthday Parties**

. . . . .

. . . . .

Lorelai walked into the Dragonfly Inn kitchen, car keys in one hand, her purse in the other. "I'm heading home, Sookie," she announced.

Sookie, who had been slicing tomatoes, abruptly stopped and pointed at Lorelai. "You're gonna do it tonight, right? You better do it tonight, because if you don't do it tonight, I'm gonna come over there tomorrow night and do it for you."

Lorelai smiled. This was precisely the reason she had stopped in the kitchen before leaving… she needed a little pep talk from her friend. "I'm gonna do it," Lorelai confirmed, then she wrinkled her nose and added, "Just… remind me again how much I need to do it."

"You need to do it because you've been thinking about it and you've been wanting to bring it up for months, and you keep chickening out for God knows what reason," Sookie said.

"Because I don't know what he's gonna say!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"That's _why_ you bring it up, to find out what he's going to say!" Sookie exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "It's better to have an unsuccessful conversation about it than none at all."

Lorelai frowned. "You think it's going to be unsuccessful?"

"No, I don't," Sookie quickly replied, shaking her head. "I'm just saying, it's stupid not to bring it up just because you're not sure if he's on the same page. What if he is on the same page, and you've both just been avoiding the topic for months because you don't know if the other person is? It's a waste of time."

"I know."

"You said it yourself today - you're turning forty next month and it seems like a good year to make some changes."

"I know."

"So, you need to see if he wants those changes, too," Sookie said. "Just do it fast, like ripping off a Band-Aid… just spit it out and see where the conversation goes."

Lorelai nodded understandingly. "Okay, I will, I promise."

"Okay, good," Sookie said. "Good luck, honey… fill me in tomorrow."

"I will. Night, Sookie."

. . . . .

. . . . .

When Lorelai arrived home, Luke was in the kitchen cooking dinner. She greeted him and Paul Anka, then went upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes. When she returned downstairs, dinner was ready, and they sat down at the table to eat.

"How was work?" Luke asked.

Lorelai took a deep breath and quickly replied, "Sookie and I went out for lunch today and she asked me if we've talked about getting married." She winced slightly as she waited for his reaction.

Luke froze, caught off guard by her response. He stared at her dumbfounded across the table, suddenly unsure of what to do with the forkful of lasagna he was holding.

"You and me getting married," Lorelai clarified. "In case that… you know… wasn't clear."

"Yeah, I know what you meant." Luke put his fork down and leaned back in his chair as he folded his arms across his chest. "What'd you tell her?"

"I told her the truth," Lorelai replied with a shrug. "That we haven't talked about it at all."

"No, we haven't," Luke stated, then paused a moment before asking, "Are we talking about it right now? I mean, I assume you want to or else you wouldn't have brought it up."

"Yeah, I kind of think we should, don't you?" Lorelai said softly. "We've been back together for almost a year, you've been living here for months… it seems like a conversation we should have."

"Yeah. Yeah, we should," Luke agreed. "I've wanted to, I just was kind of waiting for you to bring it up."

"And I was waiting for _you_ to bring it up," Lorelai countered.

"Well, it's brought up now," Luke declared. He took a sip of his beer and nervously shifted in his seat. "So… do _you_ want to get married?"

Lorelai glanced down at her plate and exhaled a deep breath. As she brought her gaze back up to him, she simply answered, "Yeah."

The nervousness on Luke's face faded into a relieved smile. "Me, too."

Lorelai smiled in response, and then her eyes darted confusedly around the kitchen for a moment. "Wait, so, is that it? That's the discussion?"

"What else is there to discuss?" he asked with a laugh. "You want to, I want to… there's the answer."

"I guess," she agreed, and then her smile widened. "So… we're engaged?"

"We're engaged," he confirmed, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be." Lorelai happily broke off a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth, then took a sip of wine. As she set the glass back down on the table, she distractedly traced her finger along the rim, deep in thought.

Finally, she leaned back in her chair and cleared her throat. "Um, there's another topic we could discuss that sometimes, traditionally, follows the marriage topic," she said hesitantly.

Luke nodded knowingly. "Yeah, there is."

"It makes sense to talk about said topic right now, while we're doing such a good job of talking about things we haven't talked about lately."

"Makes sense," he agreed.

They were both quiet for a moment, staring at each other across the table. "So…" Lorelai started.

"So…" Luke repeated.

Lorelai adjusted the napkin on her lap before continuing, "We were on the same page about it before, but that was a long time ago. I guess we need to figure out if we still like that page."

"I'm still good with that page if you are," Luke told her, then quickly added, "But if you're not, that's okay… it's fine either way. I'm good with whatever page you're on."

Lorelai nodded. "I'm still good with that page."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, and they shared a smile across the table. "So, to paraphrase Whitney, we believe the children are our future?"

Luke's smile widened and he nodded. "We do."

Lorelai felt like a weight had been lifted, finally getting those topics out in the open. She picked up her fork and dug into her lasagna as she cheerfully declared, "This might be the most productive dinner conversation we've ever had."

. . . . .

. . . . .

A few weeks later, Lorelai walked into the house, dropped her purse on the hall table, and kicked off her heels before heading into the living room. Luke was on the couch watching a baseball game with Paul Anka curled up beside him.

"Hey," Luke greeted her.

"Hi." Lorelai sat down beside him and they shared a kiss before she reached across him to pet Paul Anka. "How are my boys?"

"We're good. How was Friday night dinner?" Luke asked as he turned the volume down on the TV.

"Oh, you know, the usual barrage of questions," Lorelai replied, and then began mimicking her parents' voices. " _How's the inn? Where's Luke? Are you still together? Oh, you are? And he's still living with you? Why didn't he come to dinner? Oh, he's working again? He's still got that diner? Just the one, huh? He should really considering franchising it."_

Luke exhaled a deep breath. "I guess you want me to put in another appearance soon?"

"Yes, please," she said hopefully. "It would lead to a decrease in stress for me, and a very special thank you treat in the bedroom for you."

"Fine." Luke patted her leg and added, "You know, just a reminder, if it's really that stressful, you don't have to go anymore… you're not obligated."

"I can't not go, Luke, they'd be devastated," Lorelai replied. "It was hard enough getting them down from every week to every other week. You would've thought I had suggested that we sacrifice a litter of kittens. Plus, Rory likes that I'm still staying in touch with them, she'd be disappointed if I stopped going."

"Yeah, I know."

Lorelai took Luke's hand in hers and traced her finger along his palm. "So, another fun topic came up tonight… guess who remembered that my birthday is coming up?"

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "Were you expecting your parents to forget the birthday of their only child?"

"Expecting… not really, but hoping… yes," Lorelai replied with a sigh. "And not only did they remember that it's coming up, they also realized that it's a big one, and that it also falls on a Friday that I'd be there for dinner, and that trifecta of knowledge brought them to the conclusion that they needed to throw me a party. They had the invitations already!" She buried her face in her hands and moaned, "Why me, God? Why me?"

Luke moved closer to her on the couch. "Calm down," he said as put his arm around her. "It'll be fine. You'll go, you'll mingle with some people, you'll have a few drinks, you'll come home, no big deal."

Lorelai lifted her head from her hands and looked at him in disbelief. "Uh, you're kidding, right?"

"Kidding about what?"

"The _you'll_ stuff," Lorelai replied. "You keep accidentally saying _you'll_ when I'm pretty sure you mean _we'll_ because I know there's no chance in hell that you would make me spend my fortieth birthday mingling alone with a bunch of my parents' friends and assorted family members I haven't seen in ages. Especially if you want to maintain those sexual relations with me that you've become so fond of."

Luke smirked. "Sorry, I meant _we'll_."

"Yes, you did." Lorelai rested her head against his shoulder. She was quiet for a moment, then she lifted her head to look at him. "Wait. How come you're not stressing out about the fact that my parents want to have a party for me on my birthday?"

"Why would I be stressing out?"

"Because _you_ should have already been planning a party for that night and this news should be throwing a wrench in your plans and you should be freaking out about what you're gonna do," Lorelai said, then she pushed herself up off of him and gave him a disgusted look. "But you're not, you're totally calm, which means you probably had no plans to throw me a party for my fortieth birthday, and that is the most horrible thing I've ever heard. Ugh, what is wrong with you?"

Luke snorted a laugh and pulled her back against him. "Come on, I'm not an idiot."

"What does that mean?" she asked, and then her eyes widened slightly. "You do have something planned?"

"Yes, and said plans were based around the assumption that your parents would be doing something for you that night," Luke said. "I checked the calendar, I saw that your birthday fell on one of your nights with them, and I knew they would try to do _something_ , or at the very least, you'd be there for dinner. So, I talked to Sookie, and we're planning something for Saturday night instead."

Lorelai's face softened and she cocked her head to the side. "You are?"

"Yup."

"Was it gonna be a surprise?" she asked with an apologetic frown. "Did I just ruin it?"

Luke shrugged. "Not really. I told Sookie you'd probably snoop and figure it out before then anyway."

Lorelai smiled. "You know me so well."

"Yes, I do," he replied. "And we already told Rory about it, so hopefully she'll be able to make it home. I told her I'd pay for the flights."

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "You're amazing."

Luke nodded in agreement. "I know."

Lorelai giggled as she leaned in to kiss him, then pulled back and asked, "Did she give an indication either way?"

"She said she's gonna try, she's not sure yet though… depends on what she's working on that week."

"Right, okay," Lorelai replied, nodding understandingly. "Chicago's been keeping her busy. But I guess that's good, right? We want her to keep working on stuff and getting her name out there."

"Yes, we do." Luke reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. "You gonna put it back on?" he asked her, running his thumb over her bare ring finger.

Lorelai glanced down at her hand. "Oh, I forgot." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the engagement ring she'd taken off before she walked into her parents' house, and she slipped it back onto her finger.

"I still don't understand why you're not telling them yet," Luke said. "You've been there twice since we got engaged, what are you waiting for?"

"Um, I believe you've stumbled upon yet another situation where you mean _we_ and not _you,_ " she said pointedly. "I'm not telling them alone… we're telling them together."

"Okay, fine… when are _we_ going to tell them?" Luke asked.

"I don't know."

"Let's just call 'em and tell 'em over the phone."

"Oh, Lucas, that's not the proper etiquette for announcing news such as this," Lorelai said in a proper British accent.

Luke rolled his eyes slightly. "Oh, right."

"I was waiting to have more concrete plans," Lorelai added with a shrug. "I know we talked about doing it in the summer, but if we don't go in there with a firm date already picked out, they're not even gonna take it seriously. They'll wave it off like it's not a big deal."

"But if we do go in there with a date picked out, they'll know that we didn't _just_ get engaged and that you've been keeping it from them," Luke pointed out. "No one gets engaged and knows immediately what date they're getting married."

"So, it's a lose-lose situation," Lorelai declared, throwing her hands up in defeat. "That's it, we can't tell them ever."

Luke rubbed her knee. "We'll tell them on your birthday."

"And if they ask why we didn't we tell them sooner?" Lorelai asked pointedly.

Luke pondered for a moment, then suggested, "We'll tell them you were waiting for me to be there in person?"

Lorelai considered the option, then hummed approvingly. "Hm, that could work." She smiled and nudged him with her elbow. "Look at you, beauty _and_ brains."

Luke smiled and kissed her, then pulled back and said, "Let's settle on a date."

"Right now?"

"Got other plans?"

Lorelai leaned closer and kissed the side of his neck. "Kind of," she purred as she slid her hand up his thigh.

Luke smirked and stilled her hand. "That'll be our reward after we pick a date."

Lorelai pulled back from him. "Okay, fine, I'll resist my urges."

"We're not gonna run around checking everyone's schedules in town this time," Luke told her. "We're doing it when _we_ want to, not when other people want to."

Lorelai nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"When I was talking to Rory, she said she was planning to come home for Memorial Day weekend," Luke said. "Did she mention that to you?"

"Yeah, she said she had off Friday to Monday," Lorelai replied as she rubbed her hands together excitedly. "We get her for a few days."

"So… is that too soon to plan something?" Luke asked. "I mean, I know that's not technically summer yet, but if she's already gonna be here that weekend, it might make sense to do it then."

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, I think we can put something together in a month and a half," she said. "And you'll see if April can visit that weekend, too?"

Luke nodded. "Yup, I'll call her tomorrow."

"Okay, cool… Memorial Day weekend wedding it is." Lorelai patted him on the leg. "This is exciting, actually getting a game plan in place."

"Yeah, it is," Luke agreed. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

Lorelai rested her chin against his chest and smiled up at him. "Can I claim my reward now?"

"Yup," he replied with a smile, and Lorelai pressed her lips against his.

. . . . .

. . . . .

On the evening of Lorelai's birthday, Luke and Lorelai arrived at her parents' house shortly before the 7pm start time. The maid led them to the dining room, where servers were finishing setting things up under Emily's watchful eye.

When Emily saw them, she walked over to them with a surprised look on her face. "Luke, you're here."

"Yes, I am," Luke replied. "Nice to see you again, Mrs. Gilmore."

"Why wouldn't he be here, Mom?" Lorelai asked. "It's my birthday party."

"Well, considering all the Friday night dinners he's missed, it seems rather impossible for him to get out of work on a Friday," Emily said, then added, "Happy Birthday, Lorelai."

"Thanks, Mom." Lorelai took a deep breath and glanced across the hall into the living room. "So, where's Dad?"

"In his study, I believe," Emily replied.

"Oh, good. Can we talk to you guys together for a second?" Lorelai asked.

Emily eyed her curiously. "What's wrong? Is Rory okay?"

"Rory's fine, she's still taking Chicago by storm," Lorelai replied. "We just want to tell you something."

"All right." Emily led them to Richard's study and knocked on the door before pushing it open. "Richard, Lorelai's here, and Luke was finally able to get off of work on a Friday."

Lorelai and Luke exchanged a look as they followed Emily into the room. Richard was at his desk, and he promptly closed the book he was reading and stood up to greet them. "Happy Birthday, Lorelai."

Lorelai smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Luke, good to see you," Richard said, extending his hand. "It's been a while."

Luke shook his hand firmly. "Good to see you, too."

"Still got that one diner?" Richard asked.

"Yes, sir, still the one," Luke replied.

Lorelai cleared her throat. "Okay, enough chit chat for now."

Emily walked behind the desk and stood next to Richard. "Richard, Lorelai has something she wants to tell us," she said, and they looked at Lorelai expectantly with their hands folded in front of them.

Lorelai glanced over at Luke, who smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back. "Um, we just wanted to let you know that Luke and I are engaged," Lorelai said, offering her hand toward them to show her engagement ring.

"Oh, well, that's a nice surprise," Richard declared with a smile. "Congratulations."

"Yes, congratulations," Emily echoed Richard's sentiments, then her eyes darted between Luke and Lorelai for a moment. "And… it's gonna stick this time, right?"

"Uh, that's the plan, Mom," Lorelai replied, rolling her eyes slightly. "You could've at least tried to mask the doubtful tone in your voice."

"Sorry, I'm just wondering if we'll have a more successful outcome this time than the last engagement," Emily said.

"Well, I guess we'll see," Lorelai casually replied with a shrug. "A lot can happen in a month, so place your bets about whether we actually make it down the aisle."

"A month?" Emily said. "You're getting married in a month?"

"Yup, almost to the day," Lorelai replied.

"Memorial Day weekend," Luke added.

"That's rather soon," Richard commented.

Lorelai linked her arm through Luke's. "Yup, told ya, this one's gonna stick… we have a date and everything."

"Well, I seem to recall you had a date picked out last time, too," Emily pointed out.

Lorelai cocked her head to the side and forced a smile. "Mom, we're getting married on the 24th, hop on board the happy train or get off the tracks."

"We're certainly on board, Lorelai," Richard told her, then rubbed his hands together and started walking toward the door. "Shall we have a little champagne to celebrate before the guests arrive?"

"Yes, let's shall," Lorelai agreed, and they followed Richard out into the living room.

. . . . .

. . . . .

That night, as Lorelai and Luke were getting ready for bed, Lorelai's cell phone rang. She poked her head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in her mouth, and mumbled, "Can you grab that? It's in my purse."

As she disappeared back into the bathroom, Luke walked over to her vanity table and rummaged through her purse for the ringing cell phone. He checked the front of the phone. "It's Rory."

"Okay, I'll be right out," she called.

Luke answered the phone and talked to Rory for a minute by the bathroom door while Lorelai finished up. When she walked out, Luke passed her the phone and he headed into the bathroom.

"Two calls in one day," Lorelai greeted Rory on the phone. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"The miracle of your birth," Rory replied.

"Oh, right, that."

"How was the party at Grandma's?"

Lorelai sat down on the bed. "Well, I think Luke has officially filled his small-talk quota for the year," she said. "But other than that, the food was good, the drinks were even better, and I came home with a lovely pile of envelopes that I assume contain generous gifts of money and will go towards bringing home mama a nice wedding reception."

"Score!"

"Yup, and now that that party is out of the way, I can focus on tomorrow," Lorelai said. "I can't wait to see you. Flight gets in at nine, right?"

"Yup."

"I'll be there with coffee and Danishes," Lorelai said.

"Okay." Rory paused a moment. "Listen, Mom, don't be mad at me, but -"

"Oh, I love sentences that start with that," Lorelai interrupted. "What did you do?"

"I invited Grandma and Grandpa to the party tomorrow," Rory replied.

"You did?" Lorelai asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "But they didn't say anything about it tonight. When did you tell them?"

"A few days ago," Rory replied. "I figured since I'm only going to be there for 24 hours that it would be the easiest way to get to see them. I would've felt bad if they found out I was in town and didn't stop over."

Lorelai smiled. "That's sweet of you."

"You're not mad?"

"Nope, but I'm not letting their presence keep me from partying my ass off, so you need to politely shoo them in the opposite direction from me if I'm getting too rowdy."

"Deal."

"So, did they sound mad when you invited them?" Lorelai asked. "Like, mad at _me_ for not inviting them myself?"

"Nope. I told them it was a surprise party thrown by Sookie, and that even Luke didn't know about it because he's bad at keeping secrets," Rory explained. "That way they couldn't get mad at you guys for not mentioning it."

Lorelai gasped. "My daughter is brilliant."

"Thank you." They chatted for a few more minutes before Rory yawned and said, "Okay, I gotta get up early, I should get to bed. Happy Birthday again."

"Thanks, hon... I love you," Lorelai said. "Have a safe flight."

"Love you, Mom."

Lorelai hung up the phone and set it on the nightstand before walking over to the mirror. She fixed her hair and adjusted the straps of her lingerie, then climbed into bed.

"You're all done in here, right?" Luke called from the bathroom.

"Yup," Lorelai replied.

Luke turned out the bathroom light and walked into the bedroom. Lorelai was lying on the bed, her head resting against the pillow with her hands tucked behind her head. Her long legs were stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles, and her silky negligee had ridden up enough to reveal the sexy matching thong.

Luke stood mesmerized at the foot of the bed, smiling as his eyes roamed her body.

Lorelai uncrossed her ankles and spread her legs slightly. "So, mister… last night was officially the last sexual encounter you'll ever have with a woman in her thirties. You ready to find out what it's like to make love to a woman in her forties?"

Luke smirked as he rubbed his hands together. "Oh, you have no idea."

Lorelai smiled and beckoned him toward her with her finger. Luke took off his boxers and climbed onto the bed, covering her body with his. He pressed his lips to hers for a passionate kiss as her arms wrapped around his neck.

She moaned contently as their lips separated, and Luke smiled down at her. "Good birthday?"

Lorelai smiled at him and cradled his face in her hands. " _Great_ birthday." She pulled him down into a kiss, then murmured against his lips, "Now let's end it with a bang."

. . . . .

. . . . .

Lorelai picked up Rory from the airport the next morning and they tried to make the most of Rory's short time in town. They spent the first part of the day out and about, shopping, getting manicures, eating lunch, then spent the afternoon relaxing at home on the sofa with movies and junk food. Around five that night, they headed over to Miss Patty's to help decorate for the party.

Hep Alien had set up their equipment on the stage and was doing a soundcheck. Tables and chairs lined the perimeter of the studio, leaving an open space in the center to serve as the dance floor. Tables for food and drinks were set up in the back, and picnic tables were set up outside on the grass. By six, the girls were heading home to shower and change, leaving Sookie, Luke, and some other volunteers to put the finishing touches on the party setup.

When Lorelai and Rory returned to the dance studio, they found Luke and Jackson talking out front, and could see clusters of guests already inside.

"Hello, men," Lorelai greeted them.

"Hey there," Jackson said. "The guest of honor has finally returned."

Lorelai smiled. "She sure has, and she's ready to party." She noticed a beer in Luke's hand, and she gasped. "You started drinking without me?"

Luke shrugged. "Not my fault you're late to your own party."

"We are _fashionably_ late," Lorelai corrected him, and she gestured to her face. "It takes time to get this beautiful."

"And plus, we had to finish up the episode of Laverne and Shirley we were watching before we could leave the house," Rory added.

"Shh," Lorelai hushed her, then turned back to Luke and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Notice the new dress I got today?"

Luke eyed her outfit from top to bottom. The dress was pale pink with white flowers, paired with white heels and a white sweater. He nodded approvingly. "Looks nice."

Lorelai smiled, slightly surprised that he didn't mock her about buying yet another dress, and she ran her hand affectionately down his arm. "Thank you."

"I'm gonna go in and see Lane," Rory said. "I'll see you inside."

"Okay."

"I'll come with you," Jackson said. "I want to see if they can play some CCR."

As Rory and Jackson walked into the studio, Lorelai turned to Luke. "How about we go quench my thirst?"

They went inside and made their way over to the drink table, stopping to greet party guests along the way. Luke ladled her a glass of the birthday punch that Miss Patty had made. As he handed it to her, he warned, "Now, remember, your parents are gonna be here."

Lorelai cocked her head to the side. "Was your intention with that statement to make me drink more or less? I can't tell."

Luke shrugged. "Interpret it as you like."

"I'll go with more," she said with a wink, and then glanced around the room. "Guess they're not here yet?"

"Haven't seen 'em yet," Luke replied. "I'm assuming they won't stay long… I don't really see this type of party as their thing."

"No, but Rory's here and she _is_ their thing," Lorelai countered. "I think they'll stay as long as they can to try to get in some time with her."

Luke nodded in agreement. "Oh, right, probably."

"Which is fine by me, I know she wants to see them, too," Lorelai said with a shrug. "So I'm not gonna worry about 'em or keep checking to make sure they're having a good time. I'm just gonna relax and have fun and let everyone do their thing."

"Good." Luke held up his beer and clinked it against her cup. "Cheers."

Lorelai smiled. "Cheers."

. . . . .

. . . . .

Later that evening, Rory was sitting at a table chatting with Emily and Richard while Lorelai was out on the crowded dance floor. As one song came to an end and the band started up the next one, Lorelai noticed Luke lingering nearby watching her.

She sauntered over to him, took his hand, and tried to pull him onto the dance floor. "Come on, dance with me."

Luke stood firmly in place and shook his head. "I'm good just watching you."

"Come on, one dance?" Lorelai begged, and when he shook his head again, she batted her eyelashes and flipped her hair. "Please, Luke… for the birthday girl?" she asked, throwing in a sexy pout for good measure.

Luke exhaled a sigh, shaking his head slightly as his lips curved into a smile. She was impossible to resist. "Fine. One dance."

Lorelai's eyes lit up and she gasped with surprise. "Really?" She pulled him onto the dance floor and they danced out the rest of the song, and she persuaded him to stay for the next one, too.

When it ended, Luke stepped back from her and held up his hands, announcing, "Okay, the dancing portion of the evening is over for me tonight."

He started walking away, and Lorelai rushed to catch up to him, linking her arm through his. "Hey… you wanna get some air with me?" she asked, nodding toward the back door.

He nodded, and they headed outside. Luke took her hand and they walked along the back of the dance studio until they had some privacy. He stopped at the end of the building and leaned back against it, then gripped her waist and pulled her up against him.

She draped her arms over his shoulders and smiled adoringly at him. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hi." They kissed softly, and Luke smiled against her lips. "You taste like punch."

Lorelai smiled. "I accept your compliment, thank you."

Luke snickered and kissed her again. His tongue sought entry to her mouth and her lips quickly parted to invite him in. She moaned softly into the kiss as her arms wrapped around his neck. He caressed her sides, occasionally letting his hands dip down to graze over the curves of her ass.

Lorelai pulled back slightly, letting her lips linger next to his. "What's the proper protocol to follow when you want to leave your own party to go have sex with your fiancé?"

"I don't think there is one," Luke replied. "I'm guessing it's frowned upon."

"Damn. Later, then?"

"Later," he agreed, then paused a moment to remind her, "Rory'll be downstairs."

"We'll be extra quiet," Lorelai assured him, then gently stroked the back of his neck with her finger. "Thanks for organizing my not-quite-a-surprise birthday party."

"You're welcome," he replied, giving her waist a squeeze. "I won't take all the credit though… Sookie was a huge help with the planning."

Lorelai smiled. "I bet, she's great at party prep. I should get her a little thank you gift."

"What, no gift for me?" Luke teased.

Lorelai leaned in close to him. "Your gift is me, later tonight, in the bedroom," she whispered before pressing her lips to his, initiating another round of passionate kissing.

When they reluctantly separated for air, Luke rubbed her back gently. "Ready to head back to the party?"

Lorelai nodded. "I need more punch, my buzz has worn off."

Luke rolled his eyes slightly. "Travesty."

"No mocking the birthday girl," Lorelai warned him as she poked him on the chest.

"I apologize," Luke told her. "Let's go get your buzz back, huh?"

Lorelai smiled. "Thatta boy." She took his hand and led him toward the back door of the studio. As they stepped inside, she nearly bumped into Emily walking by. "Whoa… sorry, Mom."

"It's okay," Emily replied. "Where were you two?"

"Oh, we were just outside… talking," Lorelai quickly replied. "Just talking. Lots of talking."

Emily's eyes moved skeptically between her and Luke. "Mmhmm," she hummed with obvious doubtfulness.

"Well, we're pretty thirsty from all that talking, so we're gonna grab some punch," Lorelai said. "Can I get you some?"

"No, thank you," Emily replied. "I've gotten enough whiffs of it tonight to determine that it probably isn't fit for human consumption. Although, that might explain some of the interesting characters in this town."

Lorelai forced a smile and replied through gritted teeth, "All right, we'll talk later, then."

As they walked away from Emily, Lorelai whispered to Luke, "See, this is why we can't let the buzz wear off. Little comments like that don't annoy me as much when I'm buzzed."

Luke put his hand on her back and guided her toward the drink table. "We're going, we're going. Your buzz will be back soon."

At the drink table, as Lorelai ladled herself a glass of punch, Luke noticed the cooler of ice was getting low. "I'm gonna run to the diner and grab another bag," he told her. "I'll be back in a few."

"Okay," Lorelai replied, and gestured toward the front of the room. "I'm gonna go chat with Liz and TJ, I haven't seen them much tonight."

"Maybe that was their birthday gift," he muttered. "To keep their distance so they don't drive you crazy."

"Stop, Luke," Lorelai scolded him. "That's your family."

"You literally just told me you needed to be buzzed so you wouldn't find your mother annoying," Luke reminded her. "You can talk about family, but I can't?"

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Okay, point made, you win."

"Thank you. I'll be right back."

Lorelai headed toward the front of the room and Luke walked out of the dance studio. As he was heading toward the diner, a voice behind him called, "Luke!"

He spun around to see Rory walking toward him. "Hey, Rory. You okay?"

"Where you headed?" she asked.

Luke gestured behind him. "I gotta grab another bag of ice from the diner. You want a coffee or something?"

Rory shook her head and folded her arms nervously across her chest. "No, thanks. I just… I have to talk to you about something."

Luke's eyes immediately filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

Rory glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then took a deep breath. "I didn't wanna tell Mom yet because I didn't wanna spoil our day together or ruin the party, but -"

"Are you sick?" Luke interrupted.

Rory shook her head. "No, I'm fine, Luke. I'm just…" She huffed out a deep breath. "It doesn't look like I'm gonna be able to make it home for Memorial Day weekend."

Luke's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "What? You're gonna miss the wedding?"

Rory grimaced as she nodded. "I'm so sorry! I just found out yesterday."

Luke rubbed his face with his hands, muttering, "Oh, geez."

"Another journalist was supposed to cover this weekend event in the city, but now he can't, and they offered it to me instead," Rory explained. "I couldn't say no, it's a big piece, it could get me a lot of exposure." She sighed. "But I feel terrible… she's gonna hate me."

Luke quickly shook his head. "No, she won't. She'll be happy that you have this big assignment, she wants you to focus on work." He exhaled a deep sigh. "But she'll definitely be disappointed."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Rory said. "That's why I didn't wanna tell her yet."

"Yeah, don't say anything yet," Luke agreed. He bit on his bottom lip as he glanced toward the studio for a moment, then he brought his gaze back to Rory. "We'll figure out how to break it to her gently. I'll be right back."

. . . . .

. . . . .

When Luke returned to the party twenty minutes later, he filled up the cooler with ice, then scanned the crowd for Lorelai. She was still talking to his sister, and he walked up to them and put his hand on Lorelai's back.

Lorelai turned around quickly to see who was touching her, and grinned when she saw him. "Hey."

"Hi, big brother," Liz greeted him. "Where were you?"

"Had to run and get some ice," Luke replied. "You having a good time?"

"Yeah, it's nice to have an adult night out," Liz said. "Except TJ keeps running home to peek in the window to make sure the babysitter isn't doing anything funny."

"Like dressing up like a clown?" Luke asked. "Tossing rubber chickens around?"

"You know, like going through our stuff or inviting her boyfriend over," Liz explained.

"Good thinking," Luke said, then he glanced at Lorelai. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh, sure," she replied, eyeing him curiously.

"We'll be right back, Liz," Luke said, and he ushered Lorelai across the room and out the back door.

Lorelai smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, are we doing more of the fake talking?"

"No, we need to do some real talking this time," Luke replied.

The smile on Lorelai's face fell and she narrowed her eyes at him. "What's wrong?"

"Come here." Luke led her a little further away from the door to make sure no one heard him, then turned to face her. He took a deep breath. "Lorelai…" He paused and rubbed his temple.

"You're really freaking me out," Lorelai told him. "You look so serious."

"Rory can't make it home for the wedding," Luke blurted out.

Lorelai gasped. "What do you mean? Why not? She told you that?"

Luke put his hands on her shoulders. "Yeah, it's okay, calm down."

"What happened?"

"She has to stay in Chicago that weekend to cover some event," Luke explained. "It's a big article, it sounds like it could be a big deal for her."

"But we picked that day specifically because she would be here. This sucks," Lorelai said, then she sighed and added, "I mean, it's good for _her_ , but still… it sucks."

Luke nodded. "I know, but listen… I had an idea." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the wedding rings they'd picked up from the jewelry store only a few days ago.

Lorelai eyed them confusedly. "Luke, what are -"

"Let's get married tonight," Luke suggested. "While she's here."

"What?"

"We don't know when she's gonna make it back home," Luke said, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "I mean, we could rearrange things and try to schedule the wedding around another visit, but even then… it could change last minute. So, let's just do it now while she's here. We have the marriage license, we have the rings, we're dressed nice tonight… I mean, why not?"

"But April's not here," Lorelai pointed out.

Luke waved it off. "That's okay, it's no big deal."

Lorelai cocked her head to the side and looked at him doubtfully. "Luke."

"I mean it, Lorelai," he assured her. "It's fine, it doesn't matter. We can still have the big wedding party in May to celebrate, she'll be here for that."

Lorelai's lips slowly curved into a smile. "You're serious about this."

Luke took her hands into his and squeezed them. "I'm serious. Let's get married tonight."

Lorelai's smile widened and she nodded. "Okay. Where, how? Inside at the party? Is Reverend Skinner still here?"

Luke shook his head. "I thought it could be a little more private. I already talked to him, he's meeting us in the front yard in ten minutes."

"What front yard?" Lorelai asked. "His front yard?"

" _Our_ front yard," Luke replied. "I went home to get the rings, thinking we could maybe do it at the church or the gazebo, but then I saw… the chuppah."

Lorelai's mouth opened slightly with an almost inaudible gasp as her eyes widened with joy. "Oh, my God… that's perfect."

Luke smiled. "Let's go."

. . . . .

. . . . .

Only a select few got the whispered invite to the secret wedding ceremony. Lorelai rounded up Rory, Emily, and Richard while Luke went to find Sookie, Jackson, Liz and TJ.

Luke told Miss Patty they had to show Lorelai's parents something at the house and that they'd be back in a bit. That excuse covered Luke and the four Gilmores, and the other couples snuck out separately.

Reverend Skinner was already at the house when they arrived. Luke stood with him under the chuppah, and everyone else gathered around them. Richard proudly escorted Lorelai across the lawn to Luke, squeezing his daughter's hand affectionately before stepping back to stand with Emily.

Luke and Lorelai held hands and smiled at each other as the reverend began speaking about marriage. Soon, he was addressing each of them.

"Luke, do you take Lorelai to be your wife, and promise to love, comfort, honor, and care for her for the rest of your life?"

Luke winked at Lorelai and nodded. "I do."

"Lorelai, do you take Luke to be your husband, and promise to love, comfort, honor, and care for him for the rest of your life?"

Lorelai smiled and squeezed Luke's hands. "I do."

They exchanged wedding rings, and Reverend Skinner declared, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Luke and Lorelai were grinning as they leaned toward each other, concluding the ceremony with a tender kiss as quiet applause broke out around them. Luke pulled Lorelai into a warm embrace and whispered "I love you" into her ear. She returned the sentiment and they shared another kiss.

They separated and turned to face their smiling guests. Rory stepped up to Lorelai and hugged her tightly. "Congratulations," Rory gushed. "I'm so glad I got to see that."

"Me, too, kid," Lorelai replied, then smiled over at Luke. "It was all my husband's idea."

Rory stepped over to hug Luke. "Thank you so much, Luke. I can't believe you did that."

Luke smiled and rubbed her arms. "Wouldn't have been the same without you here."

The newlyweds moved through the small group of guests collecting congratulatory hugs and handshakes, ending with Emily and Richard.

"Lorelai, we don't have an appropriate wedding gift for you at the moment since we were not aware of tonight's elopement plans," Emily said.

"That's okay, neither were we," Lorelai replied with a shrug.

"But it was lovely ceremony," Emily continued. "A bit short, but… sweet."

"Thanks, Mom," Lorelai replied.

"Sometimes short and sweet is all you need," Richard said. "It was nice that we could be here for it."

Lorelai smiled. "Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you guys were here, too."

They took a few pictures to commemorate the event and chatted on the lawn for a few minutes before they started walking back to the dance studio.

"What if people notice the wedding rings?" Luke asked.

"They won't notice," Lorelai told him. "A third of them are drunk, a third of them are in sugar comas from Sookie's cake, and the other third were half-asleep."

"Good point."

"So, does this mean the other wedding is canceled?" Sookie asked.

"Nope, we're still gonna do that one, too," Lorelai replied. "It'll be like a delayed wedding reception."

Sookie breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, good, because I've already got the cake plans ready."

"She does," Jackson confirmed. "The blueprints are hanging in our kitchen."

"Overnight a piece to Chicago, please," Rory requested.

"Will do," Lorelai replied.

They reached the dance studio, and as everyone else headed inside, Lorelai took Luke's hand and held him back. When they were alone on the steps, she smiled up at him. "Hey, remember that time we got married?"

Luke smirked. "Vaguely. I believe there was a kiss involved."

Lorelai stepped closer to him, resting her hands against his chest. "That was a good idea to do it tonight, thank you," she said sincerely.

Luke rested his hands on her hips. "You're welcome."

"I mean, you knew I'd be sad and you instantly came up with a way to fix that," she continued. "You, Luke Danes, always do whatever you can to make me happy."

"And that's what I'm gonna keep doing," he told her. "Get used to it."

Lorelai smiled and leaned in to kiss him. As she pulled back, she said, "But you do realize that you will now have to get me a birthday present _and_ an anniversary present one day apart every year for the rest of your life, right?"

Luke was silent for a moment, thinking that over. "Huh. Hadn't thought about that."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, now you've got a year to think about it." She patted Luke on the shoulder, adding, "And by the way, good luck trying to top _this_ birthday party for the rest of your life."

Luke smirked. "It's all downhill from here." He reached for her hand. "Let's go inside."

. . . . .

. . . . .

 **The End**

 **Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it! :)


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